


Interlude: In Which Reno Needs a Distraction

by PrplPnk



Series: Wolf's Light, Fox's Shadow [2]
Category: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: M/M, Masturbation, Nightmare, Phone Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-21
Updated: 2020-04-21
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:53:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23765686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrplPnk/pseuds/PrplPnk
Summary: What's Reno to do when he can't sleep and has the number of one Cloud Strife?
Relationships: Reno/Cloud Strife
Series: Wolf's Light, Fox's Shadow [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1712068
Comments: 19
Kudos: 159





	Interlude: In Which Reno Needs a Distraction

The streets of Midgar were calm for once. Usually even the late hour never stopped the hustle and bustle of ShinRa’s crown jewel of a metropolis, but this night seemed different.

Reno walked the slums, tapping his electro-mag rod against his left shoulder absently, taking in the always familiar sights of decrepit buildings, roving gangs, and abandoned cars that lined the sidewalks. He and his brother had spent many years on their own here, scraping by with what they could find or steal, only occasionally being able to grab real work. They had survived together, even if it was shitty most of the time. The redhead sighed to himself, a wave of nostalgia hitting him even as he wished he could’ve given his younger brother a better life.

It ended up well enough, he decided, remembering that, if it weren’t for their ‘street rat’ survival skills, he probably wouldn’t be with the Turks now. And Leto wouldn’t have gotten the opportunity to be the artist that he is.

His eyes shimmered in the artificial light overhead, taking more of an ice-blue color as he gazed down a well-known alley for a moment. Reno smirked, recalling it had been one of his many quick-escape routes. He had this whole sector mapped out in his head, even after so many years had passed. The redhead could still easily recall what side-streets connected with which alleys, the best abandoned buildings to sneak through, and tall, solid fences to hide behind.

Reno’s expression turned sour as he continued down memory lane. He looked around him again; something wasn’t right. Everything seemed okay, nothing out of the ordinary as he again ran his gaze up and down the fairly empty street. Yet it felt… wrong somehow. What was he missing?

A sudden, loud, low groaning sound vibrated the air overhead, Reno initially thinking a roll of thunder, but when he looked up his eyes widened in shock. The plate above his head was falling toward him, the sound of screeching, bending metal became deafening as it plummeted down onto the slums.

Reno’s throat felt tight as he tried to scream, instinctually crouching down and throwing his arms over his head in a futile effort to not be crushed. He pinched his eyes shut, waiting for the inevitable weight and pain of death to come.

The redhead took a breath.

Then another.

The sounds around him were muffled, screaming and crying, loud, low rumbles and smashing glass.

Reno slowly opened his eyes and stood, staring at the devastation that surrounded him. He was in the middle of a scrap yard, he thought at first; nothing but twisted metal and snapped wires and crushed concrete. As he gazed at the wreckage, the redhead began to see the flattened and toppled buildings, compressed cars, and destroyed streets within the carnage. A distinct smell of rot hit his nose and he flinched, images flashing before his eyes of people that once resided here; lives wiped out in a single moment. His stomach churned with guilt as he realized what he was looking at and he shook his head, his unsteady breath escaping him in short gasps.

“I didn’t want….” he heard himself whisper, wide sea-green eyes beginning to burn as his vision blurred.

Reno dropped to his knees, his EMR clanging to the ground beside him. “I… I didn’t….”

_“But you did,”_ came an ominous voice. It bounced off the ruins surrounding him, its tone accusing and slightly distorted.

The redhead’s eyes widened further when he noticed the literal shadows around him moving. They swirled and dashed around the destroyed remains of Sector Seven, retreating into dark crevices and emerging out of others. Many came to rest several feel before him, the spots rising from the ground to form a vague human-like shape. Some appeared more beastly, something akin to a large wolf or tiger, with beady glowing eyes in various colors and an otherworldly growl that seemed to echo in Reno’s head.

A final shadow formed directly in front of Reno, its body solid, save for the edges that had curling, swirling black tendrils of darkness, like moisture falling from dry ice. He swallowed and slowly moved his gaze up the shadow-like body, eventually falling on a partially covered face, a hood keeping the top half of its features hidden in darkness. The flesh of the chin and jaw were pale as porcelain, lips a light shade of purple as they grinned down at the redhead with delight.

_“So much suffering,”_ the shadow spoke, the words echoing around them, _“all because you decided your_ ** _ **orders**_** _were more important than_ ** _ **people**_** _.”_ It leaned down, a reflection of dark eyes catching in the low light and made a sharp jolt of ice cold fear shoot down Reno’s spine. _“Not the first time your assignment came at the cost of precious life.”_

**_**BANG!** _ **

Reno’s breath hitched sharply at the sudden, harsh gunshot and it rang in his ears, the sound tugging at a memory that he could not cope with. Rain started hitting his face and he began shaking his head, the ruined Sector Seven behind the shadow shifting to all-too familiar cliffs, the heavy scent of blood and gunpowder still heavy in the air.

“N-Not here….” Reno’s voice was tight, throat dry and body locked in place with fear. _Don’t look back, don’t look back!_ He didn’t want to see it again, his heart aching at the mere thought of that day.

_“I think it’s time,”_ the shadow continued, raising its left hand and reaching for Reno, _“to face the shadows you keep your back to.”_

The redhead watched with terrified eyes as that too-white hand came toward him. Ice-cold terror kept him frozen in place, even as he wanted to run. Darkness began to drift into the edges of his vision as the shadow’s hand splayed in front of his eyes, causing a sensation of something being pulled from Reno’s heart and he started to feel heavy.

There was an immediate, extremely strong pull on his left arm and Reno felt himself get yanked away, a very loud _“Get away!”_ echoing in his head as he fell.

**_**Thud!** _ **

Pain rippled up Reno’s back and shoulders and he whipped his eyes open to find himself surrounded by darkness. He panicked and reached out, trying to figure out where he was now. His hands quickly found a familiar nightstand to his left and he scrambled to his knees and reached for the lamp, flicking it on.

Light filled the space and the redhead swiveled his head around at a near neck-breaking speed as he took in his surroundings. His bedroom greeted his sleep-addled mind, no different than it always was. The tall widows let in the very soft moonlight and it streaked across the room, mingling with the artificial light from the lamp. The covers of his bed were half pulled off, piling where he had just picked himself off the floor a moment ago. His apartment was quiet, save for the occasional electrical hum from the refrigerator.

Reno released a long, shaky sigh and plopped back onto the floor. His heart was pounding and he took a few minutes to do his breathing exercise and slow the thundering organ in his chest. _That… was a shitty nightmare,_ he thought as he stared dazedly at the bed before him. It had nearly triggered another of his bad episodes and, with his last one being so recent, he really didn’t want to start thinking about needing the anti-anxiety meds he’d taken for a while after the plate fell. Overall, Reno didn’t mind the medication; it did its job and reduced the frequency and intensity of the attacks he used to have. He was more worried about a relapse. _Thought I was done needing that stuff. I’ve been fine for years!_

Although it wasn’t uncommon for an episode to strike, the redhead had them pretty much under control and they’d quickly pass after just a few minutes. It was fairly rare for him to have the bad ones, where he would have the audio and visual hallucinations. The one that happened with Cloud had been the first one he’d suffered in almost two years.

“The fuck is going on?” he wondered, running his hands through his disheveled red hair. Reno had been careful for so long; most mentions of Sector Seven rarely set him off at all anymore. He figured what happened with Strife had been a fluke. It was the redhead’s fault for making himself so emotionally vulnerable and then encouraging Cloud to ask about his work with the Turks. Why _wouldn’t_ he have brought up that tragic event? _Plus he fucked me stupid. …twice. No doubt contributed._ What could have caused this nightmare to trigger, then?

An image of that shadow-being looking down at him with that creepy smile flashed in Reno’s mind and he shivered. That _thing_ , whatever it was, did seem weirdly sentient to him. It knew exactly what to say to tear open old wounds and how to draw the most blood. And it looked like it was damn near getting off on doing it, too.

The nightmare itself was also strange; Reno had dreamed of Sector Seven plenty of times, but this was the first time he’d seen those shadowy things. He’d also never experienced a nightmare shift from one tragic event to another, it was always either the destruction of Sector Seven or… the _other_ incident, not both. And it all did seem awfully… _real_ ; the smells, the sights, the sounds. That was a bit odd, seeing as the redhead hadn’t been on the ground in either case. Those sensations weren’t from his memories. Where had they come from?

It was starting to feel deliberate, like something was poking Reno’s sore spots on purpose. “Fucking why?!” he groused, glaring at his bed. The mattress was most uncooperative as it sat silently on the box spring.

Reno sighed again and closed his eyes, a sharp jolt of warning pain shooting up the back of his skull. _Gonna give myself a migraine if I keep this up._ He rubbed his face briefly before standing from the carpeted floor and stepping into the bathroom. When he flipped the switch for the lights, the redhead was a little surprised at how the brightness calmed him some, the darkness retreating in the small space.

The redhead frowned at the implication. _What, am I a friggin child now, terrified of the dark?_ He shook his head in irritation.

Placing that annoying thought aside, Reno used the toilet to relieve his bladder and washed his hands in the sink when he was done, looking at his reflection. He was still a little too pale, so he grabbed a washcloth and soaked it with warm water before pressing it to his face. The sensation was soothing and he breathed in the warm air for a moment before pulling the washcloth away and rinsing it off.

His reflection looked a bit more alive than it had before and Reno nodded in satisfaction. Hitting the lights on his way out of the bathroom, the redhead returned to his bed and replaced the covers back onto the mattress. He got back into bed, plopping down with a huff and stared up at the white ceiling.

Absently playing with some vibrant strands of hair, Reno’s mind wandered back to the thought of the dream being deliberate. If it was, what was the end goal of it? What could possibly be gained by showing him painful memories? And who, or what, would want that?

A frown touched his lips as he let the questions float in his mind instead of focusing on one and straining himself. As far as he could tell, there would be no benefit to making him miserable for anybody. He flinched; well, maybe _some_ people would like to see him miserable. But any of them able to pull this kind of weird dream-sniping ability thing? Maybe someone at work would know….

“Tsk, yeah right,” Reno scoffed with a scowl. “What ya gonna say? ‘Hey, Tseng, I saw a literal boogeyman in my dream and I think it’s out to get me; ya know anyone that can get in someone’s head like that?’ Pfft.” _No one’ll believe me._ He didn’t even have proof of his suspicions besides a strong feeling and, while those rarely did the redhead wrong, he knew anybody he told would want more than that.

_Guess I’m keepin’ this to myself,_ he decided, reaching for his phone. It indicated to him it was nearly two in the morning and he sighed in annoyance. Reno had to get up for work in a few hours, but the nightmare made sure sleep wasn’t going to come for a while. His body felt tense and his mind was still suffering some after-affects from the nightmare, as he intentionally avoided looking at the shadows his furniture cast along the wall to his left.

He looked through his phone, trying to find something to get his mind off it for a while. Reno’s initial thought was to watch some videos, but he went through his pictures first to see if they helped. A pleased grin spread his lips as he gazed at the shots he took of the handprint-bruises Cloud had left on him more than a week ago. They’d mostly healed at this point, only barely-there splotches of discoloration were left behind and Reno’s mind drifted to that night.

_Now_ ** _ **that’s**_** _something better to think about,_ he thought, dick beginning to harden beneath the sheets. The picture also reminded him that he had the blond’s number and his grin turned mischievous.

Pulling the covers down his body until they just barely covered his privates, Reno opened the camera function on his phone and held it as far from him as he could. The framing was a little tight, but he was able to get his whole torso in the shot and he gazed at the small phone lens with his best “come hither” look, his free hand tangled in some of his hair and draped over his clavicle. He took two shots, one with the flash and one without, and he had to admit just having the softer light from his bedside lamp did make the picture even more appealing. _That flash makes me look like a friggin corpse._

“I’d fuck that,” he said in satisfaction as he opened up text messaging and chose the discussion with Cloud, smiling at the last text he sent being The Rule.

[here’s a present for ya, Blondie ;)] Reno typed with a smirk, sending it along with his picture. He really wasn’t expecting a response with it being so late, so he went to look up some of his favorite porn videos to hopefully help him relieve the lingering stress.

When his phone chimed a new message, he was quite surprised to see it was from Cloud.

[thx]

It was so simple and such a Cloud Strife thing to say and Reno chuckled to himself, clearly picturing the blond with his cute, shy blush as he stared at his phone.

[y u up?] came a follow-up text.

“Interested, baby?” the redhead whispered, wondering if he’d need the porn at all.

[mind won’t shut off - lookin for some entertainment] Reno added an eggplant and splash of water for emphasis.

[keep the dick pics to urself pls]

The redhead laughed, imagining the blush darkening on Cloud’s cheeks. _Too cute!_

[we can do better than pics, baby]

[not takin the trip; in Edge rn]

Reno rolled his eyes even as he smiled in amusement. Leaving the texts, he opened his contacts and called Cloud directly, holding the cell to his right ear.

The blond picked up after a single ring. “Reno-”

“Miracle of technology, Cloud,” he interrupted. “We can talk to each other from pretty much anywhere, yo.”

Cloud sighed, sounding a little tired. “Still not sure where you’re going with this,” he admitted softly.

“Ever heard of ‘phone sex’?” the redhead asked with a slightly teasing tone.

“I-I… er, well yeah, but… I don’t think-”

“What’s the problem, Blondie? Can’t tell me that pic I sent ya didn’t give ya a stiffy.”

Cloud cleared his throat. “…maybe a little.”

Reno pictured the blond in bed with an obvious tent in his boxers as he spoke and it sent a ripple of lust down his body. His left hand began lightly trailing along his abdomen, cock twitching to hardness. “Mmm, wonder if ya’d let me blow ya. Wanna run my tongue up the underside of your cock slowly and lap up the precum from the slit. Bet ya taste good, baby.” The blond’s shaky breathing was the only indication Cloud was still on the line and Reno smiled, closing his eyes and letting himself fall into the fantasy. “Then I’d seal my lips around the head and suck a little, getting more of that delicious fluid on my tongue.”

A stuttering gasp from Cloud’s end sent a ripple of desire down the redhead’s spine and he reached down beneath the sheets to gently tease the base of his leaking cock.

“Slowly take more of your perfect dick into my mouth,” Reno continued, voice also becoming a bit breathless as his lust spiked, “and sucking you all the way into my throat. Wanna feel your racing heartbeat against my tongue and press against your cock as I swallow every inch. Mm, would love to moan with your dick there, let ya feel how much I love sucking you off.”

“ _A-Aaah!_ ”

The redhead paused at the sudden cry from Cloud and opened his eyes. “Cloud?” he asked after a moment.

“It… it’s _your_ fault!” Cloud accused, panting heavily into the phone.

Reno sealed his lips, holding in the heavy urge to laugh and his chest spasmed with the effort to keep quiet. He surprised himself a little with how quickly he stopped his reaction. Cloud’s blush factor was fairly low and, while adorable, he would not hesitate to cut their interaction short if he felt humiliated enough. The redhead couldn’t allow that.

Taking a steadying breath, Reno tried to speak, “D-Did you-”

“ _Yes!_ ” the blond hissed. “Don’t fucking laugh!”

Reno’s chest and throat began to ache. “Wa-Wasn’t gonna,” he said, voice strained.

“Liar,” Cloud groused, the redhead hearing movement in the background.

He bit the inside of his cheek, trying his best to not picture the adorable flush on Cloud’s glaring face. _Just making it worse for myself._ It was really starting to hurt, and it wasn’t even the blond he wanted to laugh at. Reno just found the situation hilarious and also felt a bit smug at making Cloud have an orgasm with just his words. _Didn’t even get to the good stuff!_

Reno reigned himself in with a few shaky, deep breaths; he definitely didn’t want the fighter to end the call here.

“Not… laughing,” he said after a moment, although the redhead still couldn’t get the smile off his face.

Cloud snorted. “With great effort,” he mumbled, the sound of running water coming through the receiver.

“How was I supposed ta know you’d cream yourself from just hearing about getting a blowjob?” Reno defended himself with a grin. “And without me even saying how I’d eagerly milk every drop of spunk outta ya and swallow it all!”

The blond gasped sharply. “Do you even hear yourself, Reno?!” he quietly growled into the phone. “Is it so hard to believe I’d lose it when you say shit like that?”

Reno couldn’t help the snicker that slipped passed his lips. “Baby, you haven’t heard _anything_ yet,” he teased softly. The Turk could practically hear Cloud’s humiliated pout over the phone and he decided to try and soothe that away before the fighter hung up on him. “Ya know, the lack of something can sometimes lead to ya being oversensitive to even the thought of it. When was the last time someone sucked ya off, Blondie?”

The water stopped and some rustling sounds could be heard while Cloud was silent for nearly a minute. “…a while ago,” he finally whispered, his voice thick with embarrassment.

“I can fix that for ya, baby,” the redhead offered in a sultry tone. “Would be my pleasure to have that perfect cock of yours down my throat next time I see ya.” He took a deep, delighted breath at thinking about it again, almost burning to taste and feel Cloud’s dick against his tongue. _All while those pretty eyes watched me do it… fuck yes, please!_ Reno gave his erection a slow tug at the image and gasped at the fantastic sensation that shot through his body.

Cloud cleared his throat awkwardly. “I, uh… don’t know if that would be a good idea, considering what your _words_ just did to me. Your mouth might be too much.”

The Turk chuckled. “I’d also be there to stop ya from blowin’ your load too soon, yo. Gotta give your dick a good, long suck that’ll have ya begging for more, baby.”

“...d-damnit,” the blond whispered, his tone deepening with desire. “You’re going to make me dirty another pair of boxers if you keep talking like that.”

Reno released at quiet moan; Cloud sounded so fucking _hot_ like that and his lust spiked again. He rubbed the head of his cock, smearing his precum over his fingers and stroking them down his stiff shaft with a whimper at how delightfully slick it made his movements.

“Uh… Reno?” Cloud asked quietly, sounding hesitant. “Are you-?”

“Told ya what I wanted before I called,” the redhead replied a bit breathlessly. “I’m so _hard_ , Cloud,” he paused to grunt as his cock slid smoothly in his grip, “wish you were here to fuck me ‘til I pass out.” He continued to stroke himself at a relaxed pace, panting softly into the phone as he pictured the fighter in the room with him, those intense blue eyes gazing down at him as he stood beside the bed. _Fuck yes!_

“Do you normally wake up wanting sex in the middle of the night like this?” Cloud’s question was honest as he asked between gentle gasps and Reno wondered if he had started touching himself.

Air hissed between Reno’s teeth at the image of the blond masturbating while he was, a strong jolt of searing passion shooting from his pelvis and causing his back to bow off the bed. _Too fucking hot!_ Reno stopped his stroking for several seconds, letting the fierce desire to finish off quickly fade away. Cloud was just getting into it and he did not want to hit his climax without the blond in tow.

The thick fog of lust lifted just enough for the redhead to remember Cloud had asked a question and he struggled to recall it. “ _Aaah,_ uhm, not usually,” he finally answered, cautiously giving his leaking cock a gentle tug. When the pleasure that rippled through his body at the touch wasn’t orgasm-inducing, Reno returned to a leisurely rhythm.

“What… _ooh…_ made you want it tonight?” the blond asked around a soft moan that made a delighted shiver run over Reno’s body.

A whimper slipped passed the Turk’s parted lips as he tried to process Cloud’s words. _Don’t tell him!_ the rational part of his mind screamed from somewhere beneath the heavy need that clogged his thoughts. He tossed his head a little in an attempt to clear it, only to end up moaning low into the phone as he squeezed the head of his dick pleasantly in his frustration and rubbed the constant-dripping precum down his hardened length.

_…why shouldn’t I tell him?_ Reno wondered as he kicked the sheets away, sighing pleasantly at the cooler air of his bedroom swirled around his heated cock. He thrust his hips sharply into his grip, enjoying the slick sounds his hand made as it traveled up and down his dick.

“ _Mmmmm,_ just had a bad dream,” the redhead whispered between pleasure-filled moans. “Needed, _aaah,_ somethin’ else to think about.” Not a big deal, right?

Cloud was quiet after that, except for his quickened breaths that made Reno dizzy with desire. That barely-there section of his mind continued to yell through the lust; _mistake!_

_Whatever!_ The Turk shoved away the thought trying to fight to the forefront of his mind that he had shared too much again and it was very bad to keep doing so. He encouraged the fog of pleasure in his head to drown out everything else, giving his cock a delightful twist at the tip on every stroke up. All that really mattered to him in this moment was getting to his release with the blond.

The memory of Cloud being in his bed from their last encounter floated in his mind and Reno focused on that. A low, long moan rumbled in his throat at recalling the blond hovering over him, those beautiful blue eyes sparkling with lust as he slowly penetrated Reno’s body. His hips bucked erratically at the remembered exquisite sensation of that slow fuck, wishing he could have that again.

“ _Oooooh,_ Cloud,” he groaned, spreading his legs as if the blond would suddenly climb between them. “Want ya to fuck me again. Need to feel your cock inside me!”

A quiet, shaky moan was Cloud’s initial response, his breathing becoming more shallow. “ _Aah,_ Reno.”

The redhead gasped with carnal passion at how Cloud said his name; heavy with need and thick with lust. It caused the pressure to build rapidly, his toes curling into the sheets as his hips began lifting from the bed. “ _Cloud,_ ” Reno moaned warningly.

“Not yet!” Cloud suddenly ordered between sharp breaths.

Reno whined loudly, the blond’s command somehow stopping the delicious orgasm from peaking. He remained on the familiar and frustrating edge of bliss, his hand gently giving the head of his weeping dick short strokes. It was just enough sensation to leave him teetering without losing it, but there was something in the back of Reno’s mind that doubted he could come even if he really wanted to, not without permission. _What did ya do to me, Blondie?!_

“C-Cloud… baby… _please_!” he begged between gasping moans and frustrated whimpers, the pleasure still mounting even if he couldn’t reach the end.

The blond began groaning softly into the phone, his sounds slowly growing in volume as Reno begged for release. “ _Aaah,_ fuck… Reno.”

“Please Cloud,” Reno whimpered again, his whole body tense with unfulfilled need, his right hand starting to cramp around his phone. “ _Oooh,_ baby, feels so good! Let me come!” It was beginning to feel like an eternity with his orgasm just out of reach, with Cloud’s teasing gasps and moans in his ear.

“Haaa, _aah,_ ****aaaaah!**** Oh shit! _Now_ , Reno!”

Reno cried out, his hand slipping down his twitching cock as his hips thrust upward, his body seizing and thick spurts of cum shot into the air to splatter on his torso. His mind blanked at the intense bliss that exploded from his pelvis and shot across every nerve and every thought as he emptied another fairly shocking load onto himself.

The sensations tapered off very, very slowly, the first thing the redhead noticed was his lungs burning for air and he gasped sharply, not realizing he held his breath as he rode out the pleasure. His head spun a bit as he collapsed to the bed, his body feeling pleasantly spent. Whatever lingering tension Reno had from that stupid nightmare melted away and he sighed, listening to the blond also catching his breath through the phone.

“Did ya dirty your boxers again, baby?” Reno asked with a teasing smile.

Cloud’s chuckle was a bit breathless. “A little.”

“Guess I should apologize for that, yo.”

“It’s fine, I’ve got another pair I can put on.” Again the sound of movement could be heard through the receiver.

The redhead glanced down at himself and snickered at the mess nearly reaching his clavicle. “If it’s any consolation, Blondie, I also have a big mess to clean up.”

“...oh yeah?” Cloud’s voice was soft, like he was trying to be humble, but Reno easily caught the smug tone he was trying to hide.

_It’s okay to be proud, baby,_ the Turk thought with a grin. “Gimme a sec,” he said and pulled the phone away from his ear to open the camera function. It took him longer than he would’ve liked to get the picture he wanted, since his arm still felt weak and his hand was slightly shaking. The framing was a bit off, but Reno was pleased enough with the image, which captured his body just below his hips to just under his chin, showcasing the spunk decorating his stomach and chest, with some dripping down his sated cock as it rested against his hip.

Sending the pic to the blond, Reno put the phone back up to his ear. “I think ya drained me dry, baby.”

There was a silent pause on Cloud’s end, presumably as he looked at the image. “Can’t… face,” came a far away lament that the redhead couldn’t fully make out.

“Say again, Blondie? Didn’t catch it.”

“Your face,” Cloud responded with the phone back to his ear. “It’s not in the shot….” His words trailed off in a bashful way and Reno smiled at how adorable the blond sounded.

“Not a problem, baby. Hang on.” Again he opened the camera to take a pic of himself. This one was much easier to get, the redhead relaxing his face into a more sated expression and gazed at the lens with almost tired eyes. His cheeks were still flushed and Reno had to admit he looked pretty fucking good post-orgasm. _Can see why Blondie wants a shot of this._

“There ya go,” Reno said into the phone once the image was sent. He swore he heard a sharp intake of breath when the blond again pulled his cell away to look at the picture.

Cloud cleared his throat cutely when he brought the phone back to his ear. “Thanks.”

“Thank _you_ , Cloud,” Reno with a sincere smile. He sighed pleasantly and added, “Gave me just what I needed, yo.”

The gentle sound of running water once more filled the background of the call. “Think you can sleep now?” the blond asked.

The Turk froze with confusion for a moment. _How does he know that?_ The lust-filled memory came back and he flinched. _Oh shit, that’s right._ “Pretty sure, baby,” he replied, trying his best to sound casual.

“Good, then you should get some rest, Reno,” Cloud said, his tone almost sounding comforting, like he was trying to soothe the redhead.

_…he’s just being polite, doesn’t really care,_ Reno reasoned as a small jolt of pain rippled through his heart. His smile was sad as he responded, “Thanks, Blondie. Night.”

“Good night, Reno.”

The redhead ended the call and tossed the phone back onto his nightstand with a heavy sigh, covering his eyes with his right hand.

“I fucked up, didn’t I?” he asked himself, even as the rational part of his stated mind screamed at him; _ya sure did, dumbass!_ He had let too much slip, _again_ , and it was fucking with him, making Reno think that Cloud could ever see him as something more.

_It can never be_ ** _ **more**_** _!_ Reno had drilled that into his being for years and he knew nothing would ever change it; there had been too much pain and blood between them over the years.

“How does Blondie do that?” he wondered aloud, his mind going to their previous encounter and Cloud doing the same thing, getting answers that Reno didn’t want nor mean to give.

A rueful smile slowly curved his lips.

_Con, Cloud likes to ask questions that get to me._

A risk Reno decided was worth having, but still getting used to.

“Pro, _amazing fucking sex._ ” He removed his hand from his face and glanced at his phone. “No matter what kind if sex it is, yo.”

Shaking his head at himself, Reno carefully scooted closer to the nightstand and sat up, grabbing several tissues from the box sitting beside the lamp and proceeded to wipe the drying mess from his body. _Blondie always makes me cum so fucking much!_ He made a mental note to pick up a large package of tissues the next time he was in the store. _Gonna need to keep a pallet of this shit._

Tossing the semen-covered tissues into the bin beside the nightstand, Reno was just crawling back under the covers when his phone chimed with a new message. He picked up his cell and checked, his confused expression melting into a pleased grin at what he found.

[heres 1 4 u] was Cloud’s message along with a picture of the blond, bare-chested, standing in a bathroom with a cute blush on his cheeks and a flash of uncertainty in his eyes as he stared at the lens through the reflection of the mirror. His hips were barely in the shot, Reno just making out a chocobo design on white boxer shorts.

“You’re too cute, Blondie,” Reno whispered with a defeated sigh. [thanks, baby] he replied with a bone and drooling emotes, chuckling to himself.

He spent the next few minutes admiring the image, his gaze running over the perfect contours of Cloud’s chest and wanting to run his fingers along his soft skin and feel his taught, slender muscles flex beneath his touch. Reno knew he shouldn’t be doing it, transfixed on the picture as he was. It wouldn’t lead to anything good.

When the screen turned off, the redhead continued to stare for an extra moment, stopping himself from turning it on again. _Just keep diggin’ this grave deeper,_ he thought with a little shake of his head.

Carefully putting the phone down on the nightstand, Reno reached up to turn the lamp off. The moment his fingers touched the switch, he felt a trickle of cold fear run down his spine at the thought of being surrounded in darkness, a glare quickly settling on his brow. It seemed the nightmare still had some hold on his mind and he released a heavy, frustrated sigh. _I’m not a fucking child!_

He tried again to turn the light off, but his fingers started to tremble slightly and slipped off the switch. The redhead stared at his traitorous hand with a disapproving frown, flexing the shaking fingers into a fist and feeling the tremors ripple down his arm.

“...goddammit,” Reno muttered in defeat as he plopped back onto the bed. _No one will know,_ he thought in an attempt to soothe his embarrassment at needing to keep the light on. He pulled the blankets up to his chin and turned onto his right side, glare still upon his face as he stared at the nightstand.

Reno forced his mind to focus on relaxing things; he still needed to get up for work in a few hours. It took a little effort to push away the frustration, and the forbidden thought of a certain blond cuddled up against his back, but sleep did pull him away into a comforting rest.

The bedside lamp remained on, its artificial light pushing the shadows into the far corners of the room. It seemed to have little affect, however, on the tall, vaguely human-shaped pillar of darkness that stood at the foot of Reno’s bed.

It remained still for several minutes, its shadowed face seeming to watch the redhead as he slept, light-purple lips frowning. The shadows of the room eventually began to darken and slowly expand, reaching out like black fog to swirl around the figure until it vanished within. Once the figure disappeared, the black mist quickly receded, leaving the shadows within the room as they had been, the darkened figure gone with it and leaving Reno to his peaceful slumber.

For now.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I hope this and any future projects can live up to To Seduce A Wolf's caliber of quality; I will continue to do my best!
> 
> Please do leave a comment if you enjoyed! Comments really help fuel the inspiration to keep writing, knowing people are excited to read more. :)


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